Elevated railway.



H. P. HANSON. ELEVATED RAILWAY. APPLICATION FILED 1120.3,1909.

I Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAAKEN P. HANSON, OF ALBERT LEA, MINNESOTA.

ELEVATED RAILWAY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAAKEN P. HANSON, citizen of the United States, residing at Albert Lea, in the county of Freeborn and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Elevated Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has to do with what are known as elevated cable-rail railways; and

it contemplates the provision in such an apparatus, of a container, simple, compact and durable means through the medium of which the container may be raised with the expenditure of but little effort, and simple and reliable means for automatically releasing the container and permitting the same to swing and discharge its contents when a predetermined point on the railway is reached, and this without subjecting any part of the apparatus to shock or strain.

IVith the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my novel apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged, detail perspective view showing the drum comprised in the apparatus and the appurtenances of said drum. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section taken in the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking down ward. Fig. at is a detail section taken on the line H of Fig. 1.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which:

A is a suitably supported, elevated rail, and B is a spring buffer arranged at a suit able point in the length of the rail. In the present and best practical embodiment of my invention of which I am cognizant, the said buffer comprises a bracket a fixed on rail A, a plunger 6 movable longitudinally in said bracket, and a coiled spring 0 mounted on the plunger and interposed between an abutment thereof and the bracket.

C G are traveling wheels mounted on the rail A and carried by hangers D which depend below the rail, and E is a main frame fixed with respect to and carried by said hangers. The said main frame is provided near its ends with hangers F, and is also provided at or adjacent its middle with hangers G, one of which is shown in Fig.1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 3, 1909.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

Serial No. 531,257.

The hangers F carry sheaves H, and in and between the hangers G is mounted a drum I, Figs. 1 and 2. The said drum has a circumferential flange cl at one end, a worm wheel a at its opposite end, and a circumferential flange f at an intermediate point of its length. The latter flange has a transverse aperture 9 through which extends a cable J, arranged as shown relative to the drum and designed to be taken up on and let off of the same according to the direction of rotation of the drum. The cable J extends longitudinally in opposite directions from the drum and over the sheaves H, and the outer ends of the cable portions are connected to brackets K on the longitudinallydisposed bail-shaped frame L which carries the container M. A longitudinal shaft P is journaled in the bracket G and one of the brackets F shown in Fig. l, and on the inner end of said shaft is fixed a worm screw Q, intermeshed with the worm wheel 6 of the drum. The outer end of the shaft P is equipped with a circumferentially grooved wheel R around which takes an endless hand chain S that depends a suitable distance from the wheel. The upper portion of the wheel R is disposed in a housing T carried by the main frame E, this with a view of preventing casual displacement of the chain from the wheel.

By virtue of the construction thus far described it will be manifest that an attendant is enabled by manipulating the chain S to raise the frame L and the container M and a load of material in the latter, and this with but little efiort because of the leverage afforded. It will also be noted that through the medium of the chain S the attendant can quickly and easily lower the frame L and the container M.

Fixed on opposite ends of the container in bearings V on the depending portions of the ba1lshaped frame L. Each end of the designed to receive in its notched upper end, see Fig. 4, a lug p on a sleeve 1', movable vertically on one depending portion of the bail-shaped frame L. The bail-shaped frame L is of U-shape in cross-section throughout its length, and the sleeves 9" on the depending portions of said frame are of rectangular form in cross-section as best shown in Fig. 3. From this it follows that the sleeves 1" are free to move vertically on M are spiders U having trunnions journaled.

container is provided with a projection W V the depending frame portions and yet are held against turning on the same. Disposed in the depending portions of frame L and connected to the inner sides of the outer walls of the sleeves r in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 3, are the lower portions of upwardly extending bars Y. These bars Y are provided with openings in their upper portions, and in the opening of the right-hand bar of Fig. 1 is disposed one arm of a bell crank Z mounted on the adjacent bracket K. Disposed in the opening of the other bar Y is one arm of a bell crank A the other arm of which is designed to rest against the lower arm of a lever B that is fulcrumed on the forward end of the main frame E. The upstanding arms of the two bell cranks Z and A are connected by a cable or rod C that lies in and is guided and held against lateral deflection by the horizontal channeled portion of the container frame L.

From the construction described it will be understood that when the container M is filled with material and is raised with the frame L to the position shown in Fig. l in which the upstanding arm of the bell crank A engages with the lower and heavier arm of the lever B the carrier as a whole may be moved on the rail A. It will also be understood that when the upper arm of the lever B brings up against the buffer B, the said lever B will transmit such movement to the bell cranks Z and A as to raise the latches on the depending portions of the frame L and thereby release the projections W on the container. This will permit the container to swing in the frame L and discharge its contents. It will also be understood that subsequent to the said swinging of the container M it can be conveniently restored to the position shown in Fig. 1 and secured in such position by the latches on the sleeves r, the projections W being adapted to raise the gravitating latches formed by the lugs p and sleeves r and then receive said lugs 20 in their notches.

When moved away from the bufier B, the lever B is moved to and yieldingly held in a diagonal position by a spring B*.

It will be gathered from the foregoing that the bars Y and the rod C are guided and protected by reason of their arrangement in the frame L.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I am not limited to the details or the form or relative arrangement of parts disclosed, but that modifications may be made therein, without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In an elevated railway, the combination of a rail, a spring buffer connected therewith, a wheeled main frame movable on said rail and having sheaves adjacent its ends and also having a transverse drum located between said sheaves and provided with a worm wheel and also with a circumferential apertured flange, a cable passed through said apertured flange and over the sheaves and adapted to be taken on and let ofi the drum, a longitudinal shaft journaled in the main frame and having a worm screw intermeshed with the worm wheel and also having a circumferentially grooved Wheel, an endless hand-chain arranged on and depending from said wheel, a vertically-movable bail-shaped frame having a longitudinal portion and depending portions of U- shape in cross-section, gravitating latches comprising angular sleeves movable vertically on the depending portions of the bailshaped frame and lugs on said sleeves, upwardly extending bars connected to said sleeves and movable in said depending portions, a container journaled in said depending portions and having projections adapted to be engaged by said latches, bell-cranks mounted on the bail-shaped frame and having arms connected with said bars and also having upstanding arms, a rod connecting the upstanding arms of the bell-cranks and disposed in the longitudinal portion of the bail-shaped frame, and a spring-pressed lever mounted on the wheeled main frame and having a lower arm adapted to engage the upstanding arm of one bell-crank and an upper arm adapted to be engaged by said buffer. v

2. In an elevated railway, the combination of a rail, a spring bufler connected therewith, a main frame movable on the rail, a vertically-movable bail-shaped frame, means connecting said bail-shaped frame with the main frame and adapted to raise and lower the former, a container mounted and adapted to swing between the depending portions of the bail-shaped frame and having projections, gravitating latches movable vertically on said depending portions and adapted to engage said PIOJQCtlODS of the container, bars connected with and extending upward from said latches, bell cranks mounted on the bail-shaped frame and having arms connected with said bars and also having upstanding arms, a longitudinal rod connecting the upstanding arms of the two bell cranks, and a lever mounted on the main frame and having an arm adapted to engage the upstanding arm of one bell crank and another arm adapted to engage the spring bufier.

3. In an elevated railway, the combination of a rail, a buffer, a main frame movable on the rail, a vertically movable bailshaped frame having a longitudinal portion and depending portions of U-shape in crosssection, means connecting said bail-shaped frame with the main frame and adapted to raise and lower the former, a container. mounted and adapted to swing between the depending portions of the bail-shaped frame and having projections and notches in the ends thereof, gravitating latches having rectangular sleeves movable on said depending portions and also having lugs on the sleeves and adapted to enter the notches in the projections, bars connected to the inner sides of the sleeves and extending upward therefrom and movable in the depending portions of the bail-shaped frame, bell cranks connected to said bars and mounted on said frame, a rod connecting said bell cranks and movable in the upper longitudinal portion of said frame, and a lever mounted on the main frame and adapted to be moved by said buffer and to move one of the bell cranks.

4. In an elevated railway, the combination of a rail, a buffer, a main frame movable on the rail, a vertically movable bailshaped frame having a longitudinal portion and depending portions of U-shape in crosssection, means connecting said bail-shaped frame with the main frame and adapted to raise and lower the former, a container mounted and adapted to swing between-the depending portions of the bail-shaped frame, gravitating latches movable on said depending portions and adapted to engage and hold the container, bell cranks mounted on the bail-shaped frame, connections between the latches and the bell cranks and movable in the depending portions of said frame, a connection extending between the two bell cranks and movable in the longitudinal portion of said frame, and means on the main frame adapted to be engaged and moved by the buffer and to transmit motion to one of the bell cranks.

5. In an elevated railway, the combination of a rail, a buffer, a main frame movable on the rail, a vertically movable frame, means connecting said vertically movable frame with the main frame and adapted to raise and lower the former, a container mounted and adapted to swing in the vertically movable frame, gravitating latches movable on said frame and adapted to engage and hold the container, bell cranks mounted on the vertically movable frame and connected together and with the latches, and means on the main frame adapted to be engaged and moved by the buffer and to move one of the bell cranks.

6. In an elevated railway, the combination of a rail, a main frame movable thereon and equipped with sheaves, a vertically movable frame, a drum carried by the main frame and having a worm wheel at one end and also having an apertured circumferential flange at an intermediate point of its length, a cable passed through said apertured flange and over the sheave and connected to the vertically movable frame; said cable being adapted to be taken on and let off the drum at opposite sides of the flange, a shaft journaled in the main frame and having a worm screw intermeshed with the worm wheel of the drum, and depending means for transmitting rotary motion to said shaft.

7. In an elevated railway, the combination of a rail, a frame movable thereon, a buffer comprising a bracket fixed on the rail, a plunger 'movable longitudinally in said bracket, and a coiled spring surrounding the plunger and interposed between an abutment thereofand the bracket, and means on the frame for cooperating with the plunger of the buffer.

8. In an elevated railway, the combination of a rail, a buffer, a main frame movable on the rail, a spring-pressed lever carried by the main frame and adapted to engage said bufler, a vertically movable frame, means connecting the vertically movable frame with the main frame and adapted to raise and lower the former, latches at the opposite ends of the vertically movable frame, bell cranks mounted at the opposite ends of said frame and connected with said latches and also connected together, a container mounted in said frame and adapted to swing when released by the said latches, and means on one of the bell cranks adapted to be engaged by the said lever.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HAAKEN P. HANSON. Witnesses:

C. R. HAZLEDINE, C. P. TOMPKINS. 

